Thursday, March 4, 2010

I saw "The Crazies" last night and I've gotta say I'm impressed. It was a solid movie from start to finish. They weren't zombies, they weren't "the infected" like in 28 days later. They were infected with a virus that drove them mad and caused them to bleed black blood. They didn't EAT their victims either. So if your leery about going to see it, GO! George Romero was the executive producer so you know it's going to be good.

Now, this week was a light week compared to last but none the less we've got some goodies this week. NEW ULTIMATES, DEADPOOL CORPS, FALL OF THE HULKS: SAVAGE SHE-HULK, GREEN HORNET AND JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE.

What did "FALL OF THE HULKS" have for us this week?

FALL OF THE HULKS: SAVAGE SHE-HULKS #1

"RED HULK #2" last week focused mainly on Red-Hulk and Thundra's relationship. This week, this issue deals with Thundra's daughter from the future, Lyra. This all takes place before the Intelligencia attacked the Baxter Building and captured Reed Richards. It explains how The Wizard enticed Lyra to join The Frightful Four or face possible death. In joining up with the Intelligencia, she's going to use them for her own means. In this case, that's looking for the missing Jennifer Walters.After a brief battle with The Frightful Four and The Red She-Hulk, Lyra decides to join the group. She helps them kidnap Reed Richards and discovers where Jennifer Walters has been since her disappearance; in The Intelligencia's base in some kind of stasis.Not a bad issue, not a great issue but a good read all around. I really like Salvador Espin's artwork, you might remember his work from "Wolverine First Class". Jeff Parker continues to excel the story along with Jeph Loeb and Greg Pak. The thing I've enjoyed most about this story thus far are the twists and turns, they really make this a great mystery story because you never know what's going to happen next regardless of the clues you may or may not see.

4 out of 5 "I'm drinking coffee like your average 21st century girl"

Over on the DC side of the pond, James Robinson and Mauro Cascioli have been crafting what I think is the next big sleeper hit of 2010; JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #7 (OF 7)

How far will you go for justice? How far can a HERO go for justice? These questions are posed to the Justice League in this series.Green Arrow decides to strike out on his own and make his own Justice League. He doesn't think waiting around for the bad guys to strike is a good idea anymore, he thinks that they should take a more proactive role and hunt down potential threats and take care of them before they become a problem following the deaths of Batman and Martian Manhunter in "Final Crisis".Led by Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Green Arrow, their new Justice League is composed of Starman Mikaal Tomas, Congorilla, Freddy Freeman, Batwoman, Atom Ray Palmer and Supergirl, all people looking for "Justice". They all share a common goal, they're all looking to get Prometheus after a series of attacks on their family and friends.This is where the line between hero and potential villain becomes blurred. In their quest to find Prometheus, their methods aren't what you'd expect from such heroic characters. During interrogations, Ray Palmer shrinks down and begins to rupture the victims ear drums and threatens to grow to normal size within their heads. These aren't the methods heroes would use to find out information but Ollie convinces everyone that it doesn't matter since villains are the scum of the earth. During the series, Prometheus sets traps up that eventually blow up in everyone's face; like disguising himself as Captain Marvel, he gets aboard the Watchtower and tears the team apart. He goes so far as to severe Red Arrow's right forearm. Capturing Prometheus was no easy task but finally after a huge battle, they detain him and attempt to get information about how they can stop bombs he placed in everyone's home cities. Taunting them, Prometheus subjects them to horrors they never saw coming. The bombs are going off and the only way to stop them is to let Prometheus go. They have no choice and let him go but not without a serious death toll, Star City lost 90,000 people among those Lian, Red Arrow's daughter.The end of the series we really see who's willing to cross the line in the name of justice and it's Green Arrow. He shows up at Prometheus' hideout and shoots him without hesitation in the head with an arrow and kills him!The repercussions of this series are already being felt in Justice League and upcoming issues of Green Arrow. Ollie crossed a line that no hero should ever cross. Will he be exiled from the League? Arrested? Wonder Woman killed Max Lord trying to save Superman's life and is still considered a criminal because of it. This series also builds off the same concept of "Identity Crisis", giving heroes that are almost gods amongst men a more human side to them. The fact that Ollie would go so far as to create an almost vigilante version of the Justice League and then torture captured villains to get information and then eventually kill someone really shows how far the human psyche can be pushed and what the final breaking point is.I highly recommend this series!

5 out of 5 "JUSTICE"

Time for some cool number one's that dropped this week.

PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1 (OF 5)

Deadpool, Marvel's second most over used character, Wolverine being the first, gets yet another series. This series involves alternate universe versions of Deadpool being put together as a team in an Exiles fashion. First showing up in "Deadpool Merc With A Mouth #7" These alternate versions of Deadpool were just touched upon as Deadpool and Zombie Headpool bounced around the multiverse trying to find a way to the Zombiverse. This series is just a prelude to the actual series, this issue shows how Lady Deadpool gets drafted on the team.She's working for "The Rebels" and is being hunted down by General America. Last time we saw General America he was bitten by Headpool and Deadpool had to cut off his arm to stave off the zombie virus. This time around, General America has a bionic arm, almost the same as 616's Bucky does. On the verge of losing the fight with General America, Deadpool shows up to save Lady Deadpool. He tells her that she's needed to save the universe.I like Deadpool the same as the next guy but he really is being over used. I mean come on he's got Deadpool proper, Deadpool Team-Up, Deadpool; Merc With A Mouth and now Deadpool Corps. He's a great character and in the right hands he's absolutely hysterical but being over exposed like this is just making him less funny. In my opinion by putting him in all these books along with appearances in other titles you're making people despise the character and not want to read any of the books.Despite the fact that you can read Deadpool almost every week now, I think this series will be just as funny and cool as any other Deadpool story just because he's got five other versions of himself and that means ten versions of the inner voices.

4 out of 5 "Rob Liefeld drawing Deadpool...oh boy (sarcasm)"

NEW ULTIMATES #1

Jeph Loeb and Frank Cho bring us the newest series to the Ultimate universe which was supposed to be "Ultimates 4" but now was renamed "New Ultimates". The story takes place Eight months after the events of "Ultimatum", Tony Stark is talking to himself about how he had cancer and what he's gone through since first being diagnosed. The New Defenders composed of Hellcat, Hellstorm, The Black Knight, Nighthawk and Luke Cage show up and attack Tony and Hawkeye. Captain America, Valkyrie and Zarda (from the Squadron Supreme universe) come to their rescue. Their mission wasn't to attack the Ultimates but to obtain Mjolnir, Thor's enchanted hammer.In Valhalla, Thor has been fighting for his life ever since he struck the deal with Hela to switch places with Captain America during "Ultimatum". Hela makes him an offer, he can return back to the land of the living if he gives her a son...Ka-Zar and Shanna are in Central Park with The Black Panther when Loki and The Enchantress show up with a horde of trolls. What's going on? The last time we saw Loki was during the "Grand Theft America" storyline back in "Ultimates 2".I for one am really excited and happy to finally see this series in print. I've been waiting for it ever since it was announced right before "Ultimates 2" ended. I love Frank Cho and Jeph Loeb is my second favorite Ultimate Universe writer, the first being Mark Millar. My only problem with this issue is the gigantic gatefold cover that they cut short which exposes the pages of the book itself. God forbid you drop the book, it's going to get mashed worse than normal.

5 out of 5 "I really hate you Ms. Danvers"

Last but certainly not least THE GREEN HORNET!

GREEN HORNET #1

Kevin Smith brings his never published Green Hornet screenplay to comics via Dynamite Entertainment. This updated version of the Green Hornet has him and Kato finishing their mission of five years, to clean the crime families out of Century City. After getting the last two big crime bosses off the street, Britt Reid makes the second biggest decision of his life, he retires from being the Green Hornet. He and Kato part ways as the two journey in their own directions. Years later, Britt's son Britt Reid Jr. is a tabloid star and has his girlfriend walk out on him because he won't marry her just yet. That's the basic run down of this first issue.I was really excited to read this because the first super-heroes that I can remember as a kid were The Green Hornet and Batman, thanks to my Dad. I did enjoy this book but at the same time I do have some complaints.The original Green Hornet took place in the 1940's, then it got updated with Batman into the 1960's, this story has no time definition. What era are we in? I suppose it's 2010 but it's not stated. The outfits of the criminals indicate that it must be sometime now. My other complaint is The Hornet's banter with the villains. As I remember, he never really said anything during a fight. He was very much like Batman in the sense that actions spoke louder than words. My other complaint is that when he's talking to his wife about retiring, she asks if he can still wear the mask to bed, he replies "If it turns you on, The hat too." she says "Not the hat, Britt. The hat's goofy." he in turn says "What're you talking about the hat's PIMP!" Brett Reid would never in a million years say something that stupid. "The hat's PIMP!" He's a well respected and educated man along with the fact that such slang wouldn't be in his vernacular. Aside from Kevin Smith's attempt to update The Green Hornet's conversational skills, this story seems to have a great deal of potential and I'm excited to see what happens. I also cannot wait for Matt Wagner's Green Hornet: Year One which is the very beginnings of the character along with his meeting of Kato for the first time.